By Heily Sandoval
Northport High School
Although she faces daily challenges of neurodevelopmental health problems, Alexandra Butuc has found her calling as a storyteller through her community.
Alexandra, a 17-year-old senior at Northport High School, said dealing with neurodevelopmental disorders since childhood made everyday life a constant struggle, including hindering her writing and reading skills.
“One of the biggest obstacles I’ve faced has been learning to navigate ADHD and dyslexia,” Alexandra said. “When I write by hand, I sometimes limit my vocabulary because I worry about spelling words I know but can’t easily write.”
Alexandra said that as she dealt with the symptoms of her disabilities while growing up in Astoria, Queens, the close, diverse community piqued her interest in the people and world around her. Her desire to grasp the different views of those in her hometown eventually led to her interest in journalism.
“Growing up surrounded by people from so many different cultures exposed me to a wide variety of perspectives at a young age,” Alexandra explained. “I believe that experience ultimately contributed to my passion for storytelling and journalism.”
This desire to learn more about journalism is what motivated her to develop strategies to manage the symptoms of her neurodevelopmental disabilities so that she could tell the stories she’d been wanting to.
“Instead of letting my disability define me, I’ve learned to adapt,” she said. “Typing and using digital tools allow me to focus on expressing my ideas rather than worrying about spelling, which helps my writing reflect my true abilities. My disabilities don’t define my potential.”
After finding ways to adapt, Alexandra joined her high school’s newspaper club and started publishing articles such as “Artemis II Mission Successfully Returns to Earth.”
Her desire to improve is the primary reason she applied to the Robert W. Greene Summer Institute for High School Journalists at Stony Brook University.
“I joined the summer program in hopes to gain skills that will help me in my journalism career that I hope to pursue in my future,” she said.
Members of Alexandra’s family said they are intrigued by her passion for storytelling. Her sister, Victoria, said she has gained a better understanding of her older sister as she pursues her journalism dreams.
“Allie is one of the most genuine, kind-hearted people I know yet finds a way to balance that between being able to speak her mind,” Victoria said. “She’s always able to get her point across. She always stands her ground and keeps her opinions clear.”
Paula and Liviu Butuc, Alexandra’s grandparents, recalled the moments they have had together that shaped their understanding of Alexandra’s character.
“Whenever we bring up something that relates to geopolitics, we always have deep conversations and debates,” Paula said. “She always wants to hear our point of view as she shares hers. She always finds a way to stand her ground and use facts to make her point get across when there is a disagreement.”